Windows Phone 8.1 arrives in Kenya with new Lumia devices

Microsoft has announced Windows Phone 8.1 is now available in Kenya. The new update comes with new features including Action Centre, which complements Live Tiles by showing new activities and notifications at a glance. In addition, Microsoft also introduced two new Lumia devices in the market that comes 8.1 ready; the Lumia 630 and Lumia 930.

“We hit a sweet spot with the Lumia 520, and together with our partners ended up with a real hit. With the Lumia 630, we set a new standard for affordable smartphones. The device combines Windows Phone 8.1 with quad core processing and uncompromised cloud-connected experiences from Microsoft,” said Patrick Henchie, head of product for Microsoft Mobile Devices in South and East Africa.

With a vibrant design with changeable covers, the Lumia 630’s quad-core Snapdragon processor provides a faster social experience on leading social apps like WhatsApp and WeChat.

Lumia 930 comes packed with a powerful 2.2GHz Snapdragon quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM ensuring it delivers superb performance. The 930 has a 20MP PureView camera and unparalleled HD video and four high-performance microphones that enhance the clarity of your subjects and block out unwanted noise.

Microsoft is moving towards full integration in mobile devices after the acquisition of Nokia. Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones come with the strong suite of fully integrated Microsoft services. These include full mobile version of Office, with favourites like Word, PowerPoint, OneNote and OneDrive – which now offers 15GB of cloud storage completely free.

Another new feature in Windows Phone 8.1 is senses, a suite of features that takes the work out of managing data use, storage space and battery life. With an eye on business users, 8.1 offers IT professionals an easier way to manage devices, and for professionals to connect to essential business apps and services with features such as simplified device enrollment, a built-in mobile device management client, S/MIME for encrypted mail and VPN support.

“Apart from Lumia 630 and 930, users of 1320 and 925 can upgrade to 8.1. We will be rolling out to the rest of the Lumia range in the coming users,” said Henchie.

The Lumia 630 and 930 are available for Shs16,500 and Shs60,000 respectively.

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KEN MACHARIA @Kenmacharia is the business and tech editor at CapitalFM. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication from the University of Nairobi and has six years experience in media.